Automatic target



0, 5 s. JOHANNSEN ET AL 2,658,758

AUTOMATIC TARGET Filed Feb. 8, 1951 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "v l I6 26 Z7 F|G.l.' H 2| 24 28 3 n n a; 8 l2 I3 32' 34*. 5"

37 V l fi V Inventor:

10, 19 s. JOHANNSEN ET AL 2,658,758

AUTOMATIC TARGET Filed Feb. 8,1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 1,2? I ventor; m M M Patented Nov. 10, 1953 AUTOMATIC TARGET Solvej J ohannsen and Hans Christian J ohannsen, Battenberg an der Eder, Germany Application February 8, 1951, Serial No. 209,949

This invention relates to small-arms or rifle targets which automatically indicate the points hit by the bullets.

Such targets of constructions hitherto known have had some disadvantages, for example the correct functioning otthe moving parts has been impaired by lead particles from the bullets, the desired separation of the central area into numerous parts was not possible, and the indicators were visible only for periods which were much too short.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved.automatically-indicating target, and further objectsappear from the description below.

According to the present invention an automatically-indicating target of the kind comprising a plurality of co-axial steel rings lying behind one another and retained on partly-spherical supports by spring-loaded rods, the bulls eye being formed by a ring on a slidable tube through the middle of which a slidable rod extends, the tube and rod being provided with means for causing the appropriate indicators to appear above or at the side, the indicators remaining in their indicating positions partly by over-balancing and partly by detent means, and being returned to their original positions by means actuated from the marksmans position, is characterised in that said co-axial rings have seats which facilitate the escape of lead particles and permit said co-axial rings to move bodily rearwards from said partly-spherical supports.

Atarget according to the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 being a sectional elevation of the target,

Figure 2 a rear elevation, Figures 3, 4 and 5 details,

Figure 6 a plan corresponding to Figure 5, and

Figure 7 the swinging bearing arrangement. Referring to the said drawings; the target comprises a bullet-stop and guide plate I supporting 1 Claim. (01. 273-1021) a hollow shaft 2 onto which are slid bored part- T ly-spherical supports 3 spaced from each other usually enter the partly-spherical seatings of the rings 5. If any particles of lead should enter these seatingsthey soon work their way out for wards or backwards as each of the rings 5 has This ensuresthat the lead particles are deflected forwards and do not a central aperture having a seating zone complementary to and accommodating one of said part-spherical supports 3 (see Figure 3) and a rear escape zone which widens conically rearwards and permits the rearward escape of lead particles from said seating zone. The widest part of the seating zone is at its front so that the ring 5 can move bodily rearwards from the support 3. Moreover, lead particles from bullet impacts are to some extent kept out of the seating zone as shown'diagrammatically :in Figure 3, in which arrow a, indicates the path of the arriving bullet, and arrows b and c the directions in which the lead particles are deflected, and arrow d the path of particles deflected bya groove 1. Particles are similarly deflected by the other rings and the sleeve 3 forming the outer bulls eye. The sleeve 8 has a bore through which extends a rod 9 of which the end is enlarged and brought to a point ID. This rod 9 actuates an indicator 24 as described below for the middle of the bulls eye and the point Ill serves to facilitate arranging a card-board target concentrically with the rings 5. The sleeve 8 is arranged on a hollow shaft ll carrying a ring 3 with a groove 12. Into the groove 12 projects a lever i5 movable about a bolt l4. Upon a bullet striking the sleeve 8 the upper end of the lever It strikes a stem I6 on an indicator I! (see Figure l, 5 and 6) which is moved upward- 1y so that its arm i8 is held vertical behind a spring H3. The edge of lever l5 strikes the inclined surface of stem [6 so that indicator ll, which is balanced by arm 42, swings round pivot 2|. The tube II is moved forwards to its initial position by a compression spring 25). A hit upon the bulls eye centre is indicated by a springloaded indicator 24 pivoted on a bolt 28 and actuated from the rod 9. On the rod 9 is a finger 22 (Figure 4) with a catch 23 to engage a hook 25 and so hold the indicator 24 which is loaded by a torsion spring 27 of which one end 28 is held down by a catch 29 of the counter-push member 351 (Figure 1). If the rod 9 is pushed back by the impact of a bullet the hook 25 is released from the catch 23 and the indicator 24 flies up into its indicating position. The rod 9 is returned to its initial position by a compression spring 3 I. The indicators 32, which indicate the value and position of bullet hits, are swung up in known manner by cam elements 39 on slidable rods 33 arranged behind the rings 5. The rods 33 are pressed against the rings 5 by compression springs 35 so that the rings 5 are held centrally on their supports 3. In Figure 1 I qi'prori at 3 only one rod 33 is shown for the sake of clarity in the drawing, but in practice three or four rods engage each ring 5. This arrangement permits the rings 5 to tilt and also to make short rearward movements bodily, thereby facilitating the escape of lead particles from the seatings, and this is of the greatest importance fortroublefree operation of the device. The indicators I1, 24 and 32havihglbeghbrought iritoEmail; ihdicat ing positions, they remain there and a pulley 35 is rotated and causes push rods 36 and pairs of forks 31 (Figures 1 and 2) to return the indica tors to their initial positions as follows z Upon actuation of the rope 38 (Figures 1 and 2) What we claim is: In an automatically-indicating target of the kind having a hollow shaft, a series of mutually spaced part-spherical supports on said shaft, 2. 5 plurality of co-axial rings arranged one behind another and one on each of said part-spherical supports, and resiliently-loaded rods each having an e u hieg e i... he reeas r a e of one of rings acting, to,- swin g a pivpted in- 10 dicator into view when a' bullet strikes the ring, the provision in at least one of said co-axial rings of a central aperture having a seating zone complerggr ta ry to and accommodating one of said part-sphericalsupports and a rear escape zone the pairs of forks 37 v e qwhichwidgfis jconican rearwards and permits manner in opposite directions and swing the In dicators 32 back until they ,rest agaig s t the ap propriate cam elements 39 (Figure 2).The

upper fork 37 is connected to a bearer .4O.-1(Figure 5) in which is a pin 4! which during upward motm 16 items. i-$41 1 i sl l fi fi P1151} meantime e spr g l9 sothat indica r v i ea er Q et a s-Perm t 153951,

igaaqt ee i stia g; rmAz ha-thus wineeth 1 relay-Eti lt ixiif qy miuee sea s,

' the rearward escape of lead particles from said sealf ing zqr e thegvigest part of said seating zone v being at its frontso that said ring can move 7 bodily rearwards from said part-spherical sup- 20 port and thereby further facilitate the escape of lead particles fromsaidseating..zonea SOLVEJ-,,JQHAN'NSEN.J

HANS CHRISTIANi-JOHANN SEN ii i Re etence i i eil imt tfile fii hisirpa entai UN'I 'fED SWATES PATENT3; ames 't z iws so 1 59 211. .t a. n .L 1,853,979 rinsed; A r,g.12,,,'1e32 i V FGREIGNuPATENTSL; :35 Number Country Date; 

